Change
by Military-SweetHeart
Summary: Sakura decides that she's tired of being the weak link, and she's fed up with being ignored by her sensei. So, she takes matters into her own hands and decides to study and train. However, Anko overhears her determined stance and takes the poor girl under her wing. Instead of becoming a heavy hitter, Sakura becomes a silent hunter nin with help from Anko and Ibiki. Sakura centric.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: I really need to stop having such great ideas and focus on my other stories._

_You my blame my love for Kpop. It is what I listen to when writing these stories._

_Also, I love Sakura and hate how she's portrayed in the manga and anime._

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><p><strong><span>Chapter One: Finding A Goal<span>**

Why was she so weak?! She slammed her fists down on the railing of the red bridge, chewing her bottom lip until it bled. She ignored the sharp sensation and went on with her mental pity party.

Sasuke-kun and Naruto were so strong and so brave. They didn't have to worry about being left behind. They didn't have to worry about being weak.

No, they didn't have to worry about anything.

"Why am I so weak?" She asked herself, thumping her head down on the railing, and watched the river go by. "I was such a failure during the mission." She said to herself, remembering that horrible trip. From the beginning she had done nothing but stand in the way, frozen with fear. She hadn't been able to do anything, just hold her kunai and try to think of something. Sasuke-kun and Naruto had been able to fight together and form a plan without even saying a word. And what did she do? She stood there like a weakling! When it came to their training, she had been able to beat the boys without a sweat, but only because of her intelligence. And she hadn't even gone to the top of the tree. She only went halfway. Kakashi-sensei had praised her, sure, but it had been sarcastic in order to rile up the boys.

She sighed and pushed herself off the bridge, deciding that she could mope in her room, where people wouldn't see her.

Her feet started to drag her towards her home, when she remembered that boy on the bridge, the one that had been able to fight without being scared. And he hadn't even been a shinobi! He had no formal training of any kind and yet was strong enough to nearly kill her Sasuke-kun. She had simply stood there while Naruto and Sasuke-kun fought for their lives, and she had nearly lost one of them because she hadn't done anything other than throw a damn kunai to Sasuke-kun. In the end, her "guarding" Tazuna had been for nothing. Kakashi-sensei had been there, even though he had been fighting a very strong opponent. He had even been able to kill the boy without a second thought.

Even Zabuza had been able to kill Gato's men without the use of his arms.

Dammit! Why was she so weak!

Sakura stopped and grabbed her head, wanting to pull her hair out. She couldn't rely on her teammates or even her sensei, none of them would help her get stronger.

**We need to get stronger. **Her inner told her, making her stop her pity party. She nodded to herself and changed direction, determination running through her veins. She would go to the library and get as many books as she can about-

That made her stop. What books should she get?

**Well, we know we have great chakra control, and we were smartest in our class behind Shikamaru. So we should get books that play to our strengths. **Inner told Sakura, which sounded like a good plan.

_'Okay, we need to see what those two things can do for us in regards to strength.' _ Sakura thought, walking through the streets of the civilian sector. She knew that there were plenty of libraries where she lived, but they catered to the civilians, not to the shinobi. So she had to head to where all the clans and shinobi lived. After all, that's where her goal was.

While she walked, she thought back to the boy in the mask. Kakashi had said he had been pretending to be a Hunter nin.

_'Hmm, he hadn't been as strong as Sasuke-kun, or even Naruto. But, he had been faster and smarter than them.' _ Sakura thought. She remembered Iruka-sensei saying that Hunter nins had to have the same amount of chakra control as medics, because their job relied on silence and stealth, and being able to control your chakra perfectly made a Hunter nin deadly. They also had to know human anatomy and be able to recite all the pressure points on the human body from memory. Hunter nins were essentially the perfect killing machines because they expended very little energy, and made clean, silent kills.

Sakura stopped, nearly bumping into a woman with dark purple hair who stared at her oddly. She shrugged her shoulders and kept on walking, wondering where she saw pink hair before. While she thought about that, Sakura thought about what she was thinking about doing.

_'Hunter nins have perfect chakra control...they're intelligent...they're fast...' _Sakura thought, listing the pros in her mind. She willed her feet forward, even if she was nervous about what she was going to do.

**That area plays into our strengths, and we can always train our weaker areas. **Inner added, for once being calm and serious. Normally Inner was her more bold side, while Sakura was calm and cautious. It was odd having her Inner agree with her.

_'Well, it looks like we're gonna be studying Hunter nins and anatomy.' _Sakura stated to herself, walking into the library.

"Hello." She greeted the grouchy looking Chunin sitting at the check-out table. The man had messy brown hair that looked like it needed a brush. His cold, grey eyes made Sakura freeze in place and wonder if she should just walk out and high tail it to her home, but something in her made her stand her ground.

"What?" The man snapped, not noticing the way Sakura's eyebrow twitched. She resisted the urge to yell at him, and instead took a deep breath to calm her rattled nerves.

"Where can I find books on chakra control, stealth, speed training, human anatomy, and Hunter nins?" She politely asked, not noticing the look someone was giving her in the background. It was a simple look of curiosity, and nothing more. The man coughed in his hand and stood up, gesturing for her to follow him. She did so without hesitation.

"You wanting to be a Hunter nin?" The man asked.

"Something like that. First I have to train before I can reach my goal." She said softly. The man chuckled dryly and started handing her books as he walked further into the library. Sakura noticed it got darker the further they went, which didn't bother her. It was like this back in the civilian libraries. She assumed it was because people preferred to read where it was quiet and dark, away from annoyances. Maybe she should start reading here. She doubted that Naruto would follow her into here.

"Goal, eh?" He asked, grabbing the last two books she needed. He knew she had only asked for where they were, but seeing her innocent determination made the man want to help her. It was better than sitting in that hard as rock chair until his shift ended. After looking at the pile she was holding, he was surprised that she wasn't complaining about the weight. He didn't need to know that Sakura used to read a lot more as a child in order to escape her bullies.

"I want to get stronger, so that I can protect my teammates; so they can be the ones watching my back, instead of the usual." Sakura stated softly, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"Hmm, not bad for a goal. But what will you do after you achieve that one?" The man asked, grabbing a few books on Hunter nins and the techniques they used. He even grabbed a book of senbon training, as that was the favorite weapon used by Hunters. Sakura chewed on her bottom lip, making it bleed yet again. The man noticed this and applied a little chakra to his finger before running it over her lip. Sakura startled, before calming down when he drew his finger away. Even though the man looked rough, he was surprisingly polite with her. He had even healed her lip without her asking.

Hmm, maybe he could teach her how to do that.

"I don't know. Maybe find a new sensei, one that won't ignore me for my teammates." She said, bitterness lacing through her voice. The man blinked.

"Who's your sensei?" A third voice asked, making the man straighten and Sakura crane her head backwards to get a good look at the woman standing behind her. She had purple hair in a spiky ponytail, and greyish brown eyes. She was wearing a fishnet shirt over a tan t shirt, a tan trench coat with a moderately high collar, brown skirt, and fishnet leggings that stopped mid thigh. She had shin guards over her blue sandals and was holding a stick of dango in her right hand.

"Mitarashi-san, I told you, no food in here." The man said in a stiff voice. The woman waved him off and kept her eyes on Sakura.

"Kakashi Hatake, ma'am." Sakura said in an even tone.

"You're polite, brat. What's your name?" Anko asked, taking a bite off her dango stick.

"Sakura Haruno." Sakura answered out of reflex. She wasn't used to people asking for her name, they usually only cared about her teammate's names.

Was that bitterness she had felt for Sasuke-kun and Naruto? Now that she thought about it, the more she thought about her comrades, the more she wanted to growl and snap at them for treating her like trash. Naruto didn't do it on purpose, so she couldn't get mad at him. But Sasuke on the other hand, he did with the knowledge that it would hurt her.

Did she just think about Sasuke without adding the honorific?

She did it again.

Huh, weird.

Shaking her head mentally, she waited to see what the woman before her wanted from her.

"Hatake, huh? The lazy bastard. And he was the one always talking about how teammates shouldn't ditch one another. What a fucking hypocrite!" Anko said, rolling her eyes at the thought of the Copy Cat nin. Sakura didn't even bother defending her sensei. The woman was right, after all. Kakashi-sensei was always telling them about how important teamwork was and how they should never leave one another behind.

Anko noticed how the girl was carrying a ton of books, and all of them looked pretty advanced for a girl her age. She grinned darkly. This pink haired girl was serious about getting stronger, and it looked like she was willing to put in some hours studying how to be better.

"Say, kid, meet me at Training Ground 13 tomorrow at 4 a.m. And don't be late." Anko said before disappearing in a puff of white smoke. Sakura blinked before realization dawned on her. Did she just get a new sensei?

"Goddamn, kid. You must've said something to impress Mitarashi-san. She hates kids and never takes anyone under her wing." The man behind her explained, whistling lowly when Sakura's eyes flickered with confusion and awe.

"Really? Then I guess I better get home and start studying if I want to stay her student, huh?" Sakura asked, tilting her head to the side and smiling. The man cursed mentally. This girl was serious; there might be a mini Anko running around the village in the next few weeks.

Aw, fuck.

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><p><em>So, what do you think?<em>

_I decided to take a different route with the whole 'Sakura feels weak and wants to get strong, but doesn't know how'. Normally, all the other stories have her training with Gai because he took pity on her and while those are extremely great, I thought that this one should be different. _

_Besides, I think her becoming a Hunter nin would be interesting to write and would make Team Seven's dynamics different._

_Please review and let me know what you think._

_Also, I have no clue who to pair her up with, so please leave your choice in your review._

_Just know, it can't be Naruto or Sasuke. They're too brother-like for her, and Sasuke is an ass who doesn't deserve her love or kindness._


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: I really need to stop having such great ideas and focus on my other stories._

_You my blame my love for Kpop. It is what I listen to when writing these stories._

_Also, I love Sakura and hate how she's portrayed in the manga and anime._

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><p><strong><span>Chapter Two: Studying and Training<br>**

Sakura was happy.

No, that wasn't the right word to use.

She was ecstatic that someone so well known as Anko Mitarashi would be willing to take her under her wing.

What was even better was that the man at the library, Hiro Takashi, had offered to help her as well. He would quiz her on her studying whenever he saw her, so she had better study well. If he was impressed or satisfied, then he would get her more advanced books. So far, he had given her Chunin level books and told her to treat them well. Sakura had been happy when she left, so happy in fact, that when Kakashi had appeared in front of her explaining he wouldn't be able to meet with the team for a week, she simply thanked her for informing her and went on her merry way.

Kakashi's confused look was so worth the sting in her arms.

They were aching from carrying the mountain of books Hiro had given her, but it felt good to her.

And now that she was home, she knew she had to go through some major changes in order to take the first step forward.

**Like figuring out a new look. **Inner offered, happy with that thought. Sakura nodded in agreement. While her current outfit was stylish, it was useless when it came to training. The dress only got in the way of her legs and her long hair only served to get in her eyes. **We're not cutting our hair, but maybe we could tie it up? **Inner offered again, a little nervous at losing her beautiful hair.

_'Don't worry, we won't be cutting it.' _Sakura stated. She loved her hair, loved the length and the color. But Inner was right, it only got in her way and she felt certain that Mitarashi-sensei would use it to her advantage.

"Alright, a new wardrobe it is." Sakura said softly to herself, stripping out of her dress and shorts. She was glad her window was closed and the curtains were pulled over it. And she was also grateful that her parents weren't home to see her toss her dresses and frilly things into a corner. She would either throw them away, or donate them.

Sakura looked at her closet, and deflated a little. There was hardly anything left after she had gone through it all. She had two pairs of black nin pants, two black, sleeveless turtlenecks, a black jacket that zipped up sideways and diagonally, creating a high collar that protected her neck, and a black skirt.

She had taken out all of her bright clothes, which left her barely anything.

"Black it is, then." She said, grabbing a pair of pants and the jacket. She found a grey tank top and quickly got dressed. She grabbed a random hair tie and threw her hair up into a high ponytail, then proceeded to braid it. That way it wouldn't get in her way when she trained.

Satisfied with her new look, Sakura grabbed the first book on chakra control and cracked it open, intent on reading it all. She was gonna prove to everyone that she just wasn't a paper ninja, but that she was an actual, physical ninja capable of great things.

And so, she read.

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><p>Sakura's head hurt and she was pretty sure she saw double of everything.<p>

When she had set out on her goal, it had been 11 in the afternoon. Now it was 5 at night and she had only read three of her ten books. One book on chakra control, one book on human anatomy, and one book on senbon techniques. She didn't remember asking about it, but guessed Hiro-sensei had added it after thinking about her request to study Hunter nins. She hadn't known that Hunter nins preferred to use the small needles, and was thankful for Hiro-sensei's thoughtfulness.

With all that information running around her head, Sakura decided to take a break. She was originally going to get some food and head back to her books, but after looking at her pile of cast offs, she figured she could do some shopping. And after looking at her weapons pouch and meager supply, she also decided to get some new weapons.

She would buy as many senbon needles as she could, because that was going to be her weapon of choice if she continues down this path.

"Time to go shopping." She said with determination. She just hoped she didn't run into anyone she knew, because they would ask questions and she didn't have all the answers.

Maybe this would be a good time to practice her skills in speed and stealth. She picked up the two books and did a quick scan through, not realizing she had spent an hour scanning the important information. When she was done, her head didn't hurt as much as before.

She grinned; she just found a way to read two books in the shortest amount of time, while retaining all the important information without the added headache.

Sakura grabbed her wallet and opened her window. The sun was still shining, but she could see the shadows stretch further. She applied some chakra to her feet and launched herself forward, landing on the road below her without any grace. She gritted her teeth. She would have to work on her landings. Glancing around, she saw no one was around and shot off the ground, landing on the roof of a house nearby. She looked around and faced the direction of the market, where she would be able to get her weapons and possibly some more books. She was craving knowledge.

She wasn't aware of being watched from nearby, as the three people had cloaked their chakra.

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><p>"So that's your student, Anko?" Ibiki asked, chuckling when his friend and partner nodded. He knew Anko was sadistic, sometimes more than him, but he didn't figure her to be a pure psychopath. He glanced over at the girl's sensei, noting the way his shoulder were tense despite his laid back position.<p>

"Mind telling me why you want to train my student?" Kakashi asked, flipping a page in his infamous orange book. Anko rolled her eyes and bit down on her stick of dango. It wasn't the same one from a few hours ago, as this woman had quite the craving for the sweet buns, and therefore it was probably her fifth or sixth stick. Today.

"She wanted to get stronger, and she was holding a lot of books that relate towards Hunter nins." Anko explained, smirking when Kakashi put his book away. So, he was getting serious now, eh? That was fine with her.

"So you took pity on her?" He asked. Anko sneered at his accusing tone.

"Please, I pity nobody but the dead. The brat was talking about how she wanted a new sensei who would pay attention to her, and I happened to be there, so..." Anko trailed off, knowing she had hit a sore spot with that explanation. Kakashi's eye narrowed a little, but he had no one to blame but himself. Sakura had been right in stating that she was being ignored by her sensei, and here he had been trying to protect her from the cruelty of the world.

Without a single word, Kakashi poofed away in a cloud of white smoke.

"Geez, dramatic much?" Anko asked herself. Ibiki chuckled darkly and shook his head. Anko had hit him pretty badly, and she knew it.

"So, what are you gonna do tomorrow?" He asked, curious. Anko wasn't known for being kind, not even to kids.

"I'm gonna put her through hell and see if she can handle it."

"And if she can't?"

"Then I'm dropping her like a hot rock."

"You're cruel."

"I know."

"And what if she passes you're test, then what? You gonna become her teacher?" Ibiki asked, pushing off of the wall where he had been leaning against. Anko gave the imposing man a toothy grin.

"It's about time I pass on my tricks to someone." Anko stated, laughing to herself when Ibiki disappeared.

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><p>Sakura felt the back of her neck tingle a second before she heard the puff of smoke beside her. She was carrying a few bags filled with new clothes, all in dark colors. She was headed in the direction of the weapons shop where she knew the owner sold the best and sharpest.<p>

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted his pink haired student. She glanced at him and continued walking, not bothering with speaking to the man. Kakashi visibly deflated at her lack of acknowledgement. Guess Anko had been telling the truth. Sakura was tired of being ignored.

"Hello." She greeted in an even tone that was empty of emotion. It was the kind of tone she used when she was talking to a stranger. Kakashi's eye narrowed a little. Yeah, he had been a bad sensei, but that didn't merit such blatant disrespect from her. He grabbed her shoulder and halted her movements.

"A little birdie told me you found a new sensei, Sakura-chan." He stated. Sakura nodded not looking up at him. He saw the wheels turning in her head as she observed her surroundings. When had she become so aware and attentive?

"Is there something you want, Kakashi-sensei? I don't have much free time left before I have to get back home." Sakura stated, finally meeting Kakashi's gaze. He released her shoulder and followed after her into the nearby weapons shop.

When had she decided to become serious about her training? Last he checked, she was still concerned about impressing Sasuke and beating Naruto to a pulp.

Was he really that bad of a sensei if he couldn't see the signs when they were so clear?

"Ah, hello miss. How may I help you?" An older looking man asked, smiling fondly at the young shinobi. He noticed the bags in her hands. "Would you like a sealing scroll?" He asked. Sakura's interest was piqued. She nodded.

"Yes please. Oh, and a few sets of new senbon needles, please." She asked, bowing her head respectfully. The man nodded and shuffled into a back room, coming back a few minutes later with the scroll in one hand and three sets of senbon needles in the other. Kakashi's eye widened. Why would she need that many needles? Was she going to learn how to prick her enemies to death?

"Do you know how to use this scroll?" The man asked in a kind tone. He wasn't being rude, he was simply making sure she knew what she was doing.

"Not really." She said, blushing a little. The man nodded and opened the scroll and gestured for her to come closer.

"It's very simple. You simply bite your thumb and swipe a small amount of blood on one of these seals, then apply some chakra to the area. And poof! Your belongings are safely sealed away in this scroll, allowing you to go about your day with free hands." The man explained. Sakura nodded and followed his instructions, aware that Kakashi was watching her every more. She bit her thumb and ran it over a seal in the middle that was slightly bigger than the others and applied a tiny amount of chakra to it. She watched as her bags disappeared in a small cloud of white smoke. The seal glowed a faint blue before returning to a plain black.

"Thank you, sir." She said, bowing her head again. The man chuckled and waved her thanks away.

"Such a quick learner you are. You know what, because I like you and you're so polite, I'm going to give you a little extra." He said, before disappearing back into the back room. Sakura heard him talk to himself and then some rustlings, before he popped back out with two closed fans in his outstretched hands. "These are specially designed fans. You open them and load them up with as many senbon needles as you want then close them. When you snap them open, a spring underneath the needles will push them forward and out. It's quite useful when you want to surprise your enemy. With a little practice and luck, you'll be able to kill your enemy before they can even realize what happened." The man explained, chuckling when Sakura's eyes sparkled in excitement.

"Oh, thank you very much!" She said, reaching for her wallet to pay the man for his kindness. He held up his hand, stopping her.

"Consider it a deal. You only have to pay for the scroll, and from now on you buy all your weapons here with a discount. How does that sound?" He asked, smiling when Sakura nodded quickly and paid him.

"You have yourself a deal, sir." She chirped out, smiling as she grabbed her new weapons and special fans. Kakashi could only watch as she delicately placed the fans in her pouch with the needles. She grabbed the scroll and rushed out of the shop, waving goodbye to the owner. Kakashi followed after her, only to notice that she was gone. He applied chakra to his feet and shot up to the roof of the shop, quickly spotting a flash of pink heading in the opposite direction of her home. He wanted to follow after her, but when he felt the presence of someone beside him, he sighed and turned around.

He had horrible luck.

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><p>Sakura was giddy. Not only did she have new weapons and clothes, but she got a sealing scroll and new fans. She was so excited to try them out, but had to tell herself to wait. First she had to practice walking on water, like that boy had done.<p>

She knew walking on water was somewhat similar to tree walking, but it required more concentration and focus. Water wasn't like a tree; a tree was solid and consistent, and required a medium amount of chakra. Water, however, required large amounts of chakra. Water was always moving, was changing. It was inconsistent. She would have to account for every little ripple, wave, and current. There were fish to also account for. Their movements could disrupt her concentration or disrupt her chakra flow.

She would have to practice and practice until she got it right.

But before she did that, she took off her weapons pouch and set it somewhere high where it wouldn't get wet. She wasn't sure what would happen if her new scroll got wet, and she wasn't ready to find out.

Shaking her arms and hands, she walked to the bank of the slow moving river and watched how the water rippled over the rocks and shifted. Okay, that was one more thing she would have to account for.

Taking a deep breath, she applied chakra to her feet and began the slow progress. Once she could stand on top of it, she would practice running, then jumping, then she would try sliding across it.

So far she was doing good. Her feet were moving up and down with the waves, creating a gentle swaying motion. She kept walking until she was near the middle, where she knew it was at it's deepest. She opened her eyes and looked down.

That was her mistake.

Her concentration was broken and she immediately went under. She swam upwards, coughing as water went in her lungs.

"Don't break concentration." She told herself, channeling chakra to her arms so she could pull herself to the top of the water. She was thankful that she had put her hair up.

Second attempt.

Third attempt.

By her fourth attempt, she was able to stand and walk across the water with very little difficulty. She mentally cheered and narrowed her eyes. Time to run.

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><p>By the time she had to go home, Sakura had accomplished all her goals. She was able to walk, run, jump, and slide across water. Sure she was soaking wet and cold to the bone, but she felt accomplished, She could do something that neither her teammates could do, and that made her proud.<p>

She was slowly but surely approaching her goal.

And once she reached it, her teammates would have hell to pay.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I really need to stop having such great ideas and focus on my other stories._

_You my blame my love for Kpop. It is what I listen to when writing these stories._

_Also, I love Sakura and hate how she's portrayed in the manga and anime._

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><p><strong><span>Chapter Three: Chunin Exams (Part One)<br>**

Sakura swore she was gonna kill Anko-sensei. She didn't care how long it took, she would find a way.

Anko-sensei had decided that Sakura's first day of training would consist of walking on red hot coals. The point was to constantly channel her chakra to her feet in order to keep them from feeling the heat. It was similar to walking on water, as the coals would shift underfoot and they varied in heat. It took a few tries, but Sakura was able to walk across the mile long track of coals around noon. Her feet were scorched and bleeding in a multiple places, and she was nearly drained of chakra, but she had done it. Anko-sensei had told her to go home and rest her feet and to meet at the same place at the same time.

Sakura had done just that, but instead went to work on training her mind. She read two books on Hunter nins and their techniques, three books on human anatomy and the different ways she could inflict death and pain without so much as breaking the skin, and ended the afternoon with a book on senbon techniques. After that, she went to her new training grounds and began to practice her aim with the needles. It took her nearly three hours to just get seven out ten direct hits. But that didn't discourage her.

She kept at it until dawn, when she was finally able to get ten out of ten hits. She would have to ask Hiro-sensei where she could find an anatomically correct target so she could see how well her aim was.

When Anko-sensei had shown up and found the girl already there, even before the designated time, she was a little annoyed and impressed with her dedication. She told Sakura to show her what she had been practicing and then gave her somewhat helpful tips. She more like barked them out like orders, instead of being patient. But no matter, Sakura didn't take Anko-sensei's tone to heart. She simply followed them like a good obedient student. Anko-sensei then proceeded to test her skills in dodging. By the end of the morning, Sakura was covered in bruises and cuts. She had to work on her reflexes.

On the third day, Anko-sensei blindfolded her and made her defend herself from her attacks. Sakura ended up losing more times than she could remember. More work on her reflexes.

The fourth day saw improvement. Sakura was able to dodge half of Anko-sensei's attacks and had even managed to go on the offensive once. Anko told the girl good job, which was all the praise Sakura needed. When Anko praised, she meant it. She wasn't sarcastic and she wasn't sexist. She simply told it the way it was.

Sakura had begun to copy Anko's personality whenever she was around her teammates. Sasuke hadn't liked her sneering at him when he refused to acknowledge her. He also hadn't liked it when she blatantly walked away from them like they were nothing to her.

What the fuck had happened to her?

On the fifth day, Anko-sensei tested her stealth. Her attempts at disappearing were pitiful, to say the least. Anko made her stay until she could properly mask her chakra. She thought it would take Sakura all day to get it, but after two hours of constantly trying, Sakura was able to do it. If Anko hadn't been watching her, she wouldn't have been able to sense her anymore. She smirked and rustled the girl's hair, telling her to go home and rest. Sakura did, and read a few more books. This time they were all on chakra control, masking her presence, stealth, and speed. Hiro-sensei was impressed with her abilities to retain and recite information.

The last two days were spent refining her newly developed skills, with steady progress.

It was on the last day when Anko-sensei had informed her about the Chunin Exams and what they entailed. She also told the girl she would be the proctor for the second part, but she shouldn't expect any special help. Sakura had rolled her eyes, which earned her a smack on the head. Anko-sensei was very violent, but she usually did it out of annoyance of amusement, so Sakura didn't have to worry too much.

* * *

><p>Kakashi-sensei was late, again.<p>

She really shouldn't be that surprised, but after training with Anko-sensei for the past week, she had been spoiled with a sensei who was always early.

She had also been spoiled when it came to having teammates. Anko-sensei and Hiro-sensei didn't have any other students, so their attention was undivided. But now that she back in Team Seven, she would be ignored again.

Oh joy.

"Yo!" Kakashi greeted, giving his students a two finger salute. He ignored Naruto's outburst about him being late again in favor of studying Sakura. She had changed in the past week, in more ways than one. Her hitea, which was normally used to hold her hair back, was tied around her forehead in a proud symbol of her loyalty. Her hair, which she always doted on, was tied in a high ponytail and then braided. Long gone was her red dress and shorts. She instead favored baggy, black nin pants, black, heeled sandals, a fishnet shirt over a black, sleeveless top, with a long sleeved, black jacket unzipped over that. Her weapons pouch was in its normal area, and was possibly filled with senbon needles. Her fans were also in her weapons pouch, as she hadn't figured where to put them.

Overall, she looked like a completely new person.

He could only hope Anko hadn't changed his innocent student too much.

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei." She greeted evenly. Ah, she was still giving him the cold shoulder while being respectfully distant. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her behavior. He had noticed her outfit changed and the subtle changes to her personality, and he had been slightly surprised, but figured that they wouldn't last long and she would go back to her old ways. He scoffed. "Sasuke." She said in the same even tone. He noticed she didn't add the honorific, which was unusual.

"Now, now. No fighting. Not when I have such good news." Kakashi said, sweating mentally. Apparently Anko had rubbed off her brusqueness and it had landed on Sakura. Just wonderful. She was gonna become a mini Anko, wasn't she? God, he hoped not. One was too many, in his opinion.

"Good news?" Naruto asked, latching onto this little scrap of info. Kakashi chuckled internally. Good ol' Naruto. He could always trust him to be the same.

"Yes. I've nominated you three in the Chunin Exams, that we will be hosting. Now, it's optional to take it, but it's preferred that the entire team enter." He explained, noting the look Sakura gave him.

"It's not optional. You nominated us, so we all have to go or fail as a team." She stated coolly. Kakashi sweat dropped. Yep, Anko was the cause to Sakura's new personality. There was no doubt about it.

"What, really Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. Sakura nodded and grabbed one of the three sheets of paper Kakashi had. She then decided to grab Naruto's as an after thought, smiling when the boy started asking about the Chunin Exam.

"If we pass, we move up in rank and our missions will also move up in rank, as well." She said in a tone that reminded him of that shop owner's.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, want to have lunch with me? We can fill out our papers together." Naruto asked, even though he knew she would reject him and instead ask Sasuke.

"Sure. Mind if we stop to get some dango on the way?" She asked, smiling when her teammates (all three) gave her mixed looks of confusion, shock, and surprise.

"Anything for you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, slinging his arm over her shoulders and dragging her in the direction of the nearest dango shop.

Kakashi sighed. Sakura had inherited Anko's love for sweets, particularly dango. He handed Sasuke his paper and disappeared in a poof of white smoke, leaving the poor boy more confused and annoyed than ever.

* * *

><p>"Naruto, we're being followed by a box." Sakura said, happily munching on her third stick of dango. Naruto turned around, and sure enough, there was a large box following them.<p>

"How did you know, Sakura-chan?" He asked, scratching his head before kicking the box. Sakura raised an eyebrow as three plumes of different colored smoke popped up and were replaced with three Academy students. She raised her other eyebrow at the introductions from the three before shaking her head. She went back to her dango, ignoring everything around her as she thought about the Chunin Exams. They would be a good place to show off her newly earned skills.

"Hey, hey boss! Who's the lady?" A boy with brown hair asked. Sakura vaguely recalled that his name was Konohamaru, and that he was the Hokage's grandson.

"That's Sakura-chan." Naruto said, grinning when Konohamaru got a sly grin.

"Are you the boss' girlfriend?" He asked, pointing at Sakura then at Naruto. She blinked and thought about her answer.

"No, I'm his teammate." She said calmly, her tone a little warmer. The kids made 'o' faces before nodding. The girl, Moegi if she recalled, walked up to her and bowed to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san." The girl said politely. Sakura grinned and rustled the girl's hair.

"Nice to meet ya, too." She said, just as Naruto and Konohamaru took off in a race to see who was faster. Naruto was letting Konohamaru win, because he was nice like that. And his teammates, not wanting to be left out, quickly followed after them. Sakura walked at a leisurely pace, pouting when she finished her last stick of yummy goodness. Oh well, she can always get more later. When she turned a corner, she found a peculiar sight. Naruto was standing in front of a boy clad in black with purple face paint and a hat that reminded her of a cat and a girl with a large fan on her back and her sandy blonde hair in four spiky ponytails. The cat-boy was holding Konohamaru by the front of his shirt, nearly choking the boy. Naruto was demanding he be released, and Konohamaru's teammates were pleading with cat-boy.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache coming in.

Reaching into her weapons pouch, she grabbed three senbon needles and placed them between her fingers. She kept walking forward, masking her chakra and presence to the point that she could walk right in front of the group and no one would notice. When she fairly near, she snapped her arm up and released her needles. They landed in the boy's hand and wrist. She watched as his hand went limp.

She loved pressure points.

"What the fuck!" He shouted, shaking her needles loose. He growled under his breath and looked forward, noticing her for the first time. Naruto and the others looked behind them and saw her.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, grinning.

"Don't touch Hokage-sama's grandson." She growled out, narrowing her eyes in a vicious glare. Anko had subtly beaten respect for the Hokage into her. More than what she used to have.

"Oh great, Kankuro. Look what you did." The girl said, rolling her eyes. Sakura cocked her hip out and placed her hand on it in a fist. She continued to glare at Kankuro, sneering at him when he started to reach for the bandage wrapped thing on his back. "Kankuro, you can't-"

"Shut up, Temari. I'm just gonna teach these brats a lesson." He said, directing his comment at Sakura. Before he could though, he seemed to remember his limp hand, which was smashed when a flying rock hit it. He yelped and turned to face the tree. There was Sasuke, sitting on a branch with another rock in his hand. Looking all cool and whatnot.

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. Show off wasn't even close to describing him.

However, before she could call her own teammate out, a deep monotone stole the spotlight.

"Kankuro." The voice said. Sakura looked around and saw a red head hanging upside down on the branch beside Sasuke's. He had piercing eyes the color of jade. On his back was a big gourd, most likely filled with sand.

"G-Gaara, you don't-"

"Shut up." Gaara said, disappearing then reappearing in front of his teammates in a swirl of sand. Sakura assumed that they were from Suna, if their hitea were anything to go by.

Sasuke jumped down from his branch and landed in front of Naruto, who grumbled under his breath. Sakura felt her stomach growl. She looked down and then back up, apparently the red head wanted to know Sasuke's name.

"Sasuke Uchiha." He said, smirking like they were supposed to know who he was.

"Can someone say show off?" Sakura whispered to herself. A week away from him and under Anko had done wonders for her crush on the boy. Anko said Sakura had no time for love when she had a goal to reach, and the best way to get over a crush, was to look at them in a bad light. And that's what she was currently doing. Looking at him the same way he always looked at her.

"What's your name?" The red head asked, looking at Sakura. He found her different. She blinked and met his gaze, looking slightly annoyed with her teammates and the children in front of her. But she smoothed that away and gave him a simple smile.

"Sakura Haruno. I assume you three are here for the Chunin Exams?" She asked.

"You assume correctly." Temari said, smirking. She liked this girl, she was full of spunk. Even if her hair was a ridiculous color. Seriously, who the hell had pink hair?!

"Want to get some dango?" Sakura suddenly asked, shocking everyone.

* * *

><p><em>Alright, please review!<br>_

_Deidara: 1_

_Itachi: 1_


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: I really need to stop having such great ideas and focus on my other stories._

_You my blame my love for Kpop. It is what I listen to when writing these stories._

_Also, I love Sakura and hate how she's portrayed in the manga and anime._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Four: Chunin Exams (Part Two)<br>**

"Whoa, let me get this straight. You invited possible opponents to have dango with you?" Anko asked, laughing as Sakura nodded. She felt her sides ache from all the laughing she's done this past ten minutes. If she'd have known Sakura would be this entertaining, she would've taken her under her wing a lot sooner. Hell, she might've even requested to be the girl's sensei if she had. But of course, that meant she would also be the boys sensei, and they annoyed her, so that was a definite negative shit mate. Still, being a sensei wasn't that bad. Maybe next year she'll apply to be a Jonin sensei for her own squadron of brats. It would interesting to have three more mini hers running around the village.

"Naruto and Sasuke weren't very pleased about the matter, neither were the kids, but I felt it had been the right thing to do."

"Bullshit. You just wanted to make your bratty teammates piss their pants." Anko shot out, stabbing a piece of meat with her chopstick. Sakura gave a small smile as she took a sip of her tea. She had an hour to kill before meeting up with her team at the Academy for the first part of the exam, and she wanted to use her hour to talk with Anko. The older woman was quickly becoming Sakura's role model, as her parents were away on a business trip, and she didn't have many girl friends. Actually, she didn't have any. She was just Ino's rival, and even that was disappearing.

"Perhaps." She replied, her smile firmly in place. Anko gave a toothy grin.

"Cheeky brat." She said with amusement. Sakura simply smiled, tilting her head to the side as she did so. "So, what were those Suna brats like?" She asked, going back to her meal while Sakura thought about yesterday's events.

"They're skilled, which leads me to believe they're not to be taken lightly. Especially the red head. He's the leader, and very cold towards his teammates. However, he doesn't seem to understand simple social norms, which means he's an outcast in his society. He didn't even know what dango was until he tasted it."

"Poor maggot." Anko said, wondering who would be so cruel as to deny a child the yummy goodness of dango. She waved her hand for Sakura to continue.

"Kankuro's fingers twitched a lot, so he might be a puppeteer. Which means that the large bandaged wrapped thing on his back is his puppet, or puppets. Temari has a large fan on her back, so she's a wind type. She'll be difficult to attack from a distance." Sakura explained like she was reading off a paper. Anko smirked. The girl was quickly turning into a spy, if she could deduce this much from a simple lunch date. Anko decided that after the Exam, she would introduce Sakura to Ibiki and the rest of the Interrogation and Torture division. She was a natural, and was acutely aware of her surroundings. Definitely a Hunter nin in the making.

The Hokage would like to know about this as soon as possible.

Kakashi was a fool for ignoring this girl; she just screamed shinobi!

"Anything else?"

"They all shared similar facial features and their facial bone structure was also similar. They're either cousins, or siblings." Sakura stated, her eyebrows scrunched together in thought. She was leaning more towards the sibling scenario, but that would mean they had either one father and three separate mothers, or one mother and three separate fathers. Interesting, very interesting. If she had a chance, she would ask Temari about their relations.

"And you got all of this from simply eating lunch with them?" Anko asked, knowing that there was more to it than Sakura was letting on.

"No. As my duty as a Leaf shinobi, I walked them back to their temporary living quarters. Their sensei is a stern man who seemed nervous with my added presence. I didn't linger more than necessary. He kept his eyes on Gaara, which means he's either unstable, or a valuable asset to Suna. Temari and Kankuro were also nervous around him; he threatened them with death more than once during lunch and on the walk back. They're hiding something; possibly a damning secret one way or another." Sakura stated, seeing that her hour was almost over. Anko nodded, impressed with Sakura's skills. This girl was able to pick up so much from simply watching and listening, and was able to deduce a few scenarios that were damning. For the Suna shinobi, at least.

Anko would inform Ibiki and the Hokage about this new development, and make sure to give Sakura the credit. Even if she didn't pass the exams, Anko had a feeling she would, she would be a prime candidate for promotion through special reasons. Kakashi will have a heart attack when he learns about his former students deductions.

"Oi, maggot. I got you something. It's a little flair so people know who you belong to." Anko said, her grin evil and dark. Sakura raised an eyebrow, already used to such looks. It meant her sensei had something up her sleeve. Anko reached into her coat and handed Sakura a pair of fingerless gloves with spikes over her knuckles. There was a metal plate on each glove. On the left, was her surname, Haruno. And on the right, was Anko's surname, Mitarashi. Sakura grinned and slipped them on.

"Perfect fit." She said, sharing in her teacher's evil thoughts. If anyone got too close, she would quickly show them the error of their ways. And they would learn who her sensei was.

"Now go kick some ass. That's an order." Anko added.

"Hai, Anko-sensei." Sakura said, bowing to her teacher before dashing out of the restaurant. She channeled chakra to her feet and launched herself over the heads of civilians and landed on a rooftop, sprinting towards the Academy. It had been months since she was last there, and she wasn't all that excited to return.

However, before she made it to her destination, she stopped at a little stand and order two sticks of dango, smiling as she went back to running across rooftops with her sugary sweets in hand. When she was nearly there, she channeled more chakra and sent herself flying towards the Academy doors. She landed without a sound, though she did kick up a little dirt.

She frowned at that, and quickly dusted herself off. She was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, just with different clothes. She had bought a lot of clothes, many of them being the same items. She wanted to have a wardrobe that was identical and allowed her to blend in, somewhat.

It was hard to blend in with pink hair, no matter what she did.

Only difference was that her hair was braided and left to hang over her right shoulder. She figured the first part would be somewhat relaxed, so didn't bother with her hair that much.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted out, running up to her and hugging her tightly. Sakura deftly moved her dango to one hand so she could hug him back, before glancing at Sasuke. She rolled her eyes when he gave her the cold shoulder. "Ready to become Chunin?" Naruto asked, grabbing her attention.

"That's like asking if the Hokage wears a funny hat." Sakura laughed out, making Naruto laugh with her. Even Sasuke smirked a little, knowing she was speaking the truth. However, he wiped it off of his face and instead turned towards the stairs. They had to go to the third floor and turn in their applications so they could begin. He wanted to get it done and over with.

Sakura and Naruto made faces at his back before following his lead. As soon as they started up the second flight of stairs, Sakura felt the smallest tingling at the back of her mind.

**Genjutsu.** Inner said, nodding as she grinned smugly. Sakura hadn't heard much from her Inner lately, but it might've also been because she had devoted all her spare time to training and studying. She just didn't have the time nor mental energy to argue with herself.

Hmm, maybe she should get her mind checked.

But her Inner was right. Her team had entered a low level genjutsu, though it was very large in size. And they weren't the only ones, it seemed. There were other genin, many ranging from their age to adults, demanding to be let into the exam room. Two Chunin were blocking the door and telling people to just give up and go home. Sakura blinked. Well, this was awkward. She glanced over to Sasuke, who also seemed to notice they were in a genjutsu. Naruto was in the front of the crowd, demanding with the rest of them. A boy wearing a green jumpsuit was suddenly kicked by one of the Chunin. He was caught by his female teammate, who begged for the Chunin to let them through. Sakura sighed loud enough for everyone around her to hear. The Chunin stopped and looked at her, smirking. Their smirks immediately fell when they caught sight of her gloves, particularly the names on said gloves. She swore she saw one of them pale a little.

"Mind dropping the genjutsu? I promised my sensei I would kick asses today, and you're kinda getting in my way." Sakura said, wondering why the two Chunin were suddenly pale. With a nod they quickly released it, and she smiled at them. That made them pale even more. Seriously, what was wrong with them? Was she that frightening? Oh well, their lost. And here she was thinking they were hot, now that they were back to their Jonin appearances.

However, Kotetsu and Izumo were not scared of her. They were scared of Anko, who she had just claimed as her sensei, and were scared of the retribution they would face. Anko had a way of being completely and utterly psychotic when it came to revenge, and they did not want to feel her wrath. So, they dropped the act and let everyone go, even if they didn't want to. They just didn't want to die so young.

"How did you know, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as everyone filed past them. Sakura shrugged.

"Just a feeling, I guess." She said, noting the way Sasuke was glaring at her. Apparently she had stolen his thunder. Oh, no. The poor baby wasn't the center of attention. Whatever will he do? Like she cared.

Damn, Anko was rubbing off on her way too much.

Eh, she cross that bridge later.

"Wait!" The green clad boy called out, stopping them from going up the stairs. Sakura resisted the urge to rub her temples. What now? Could she please just have one day where normality was constant? Please? Was that too much to ask for? Apparently so. "May I please have the name of the lovely blossom?" He asked. Sakura blinked.

Oh shit, he was talking about her.

"Uh, Sakura Haruno. Ehehe." She said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Ah! Just a lovely name for such a lovely creature! Sakura-chan please be my girlfriend!" Lee cried out, grabbing her hand and bowing. Sakura wasn't sure whether to laugh, or scream. She looked over to his teammates. A Hyuuga and a girl with brown hair in twin buns and brown eyes that looked apologetic. The Hyuuga's eyes were telling her that yes, this was normal. And he meant it. Okay, this situation called for delicacy.

Withdrawing her hand, she patted the boy on his shoulders.

"Sorry, uh..." She trailed off, not knowing his name.

"My apologies! I am Rock Lee!" The boy said in an energetic voice. Sakura nodded slowly, noting the leg warmers he wore and the lack of any weapons on his person. He had no weapon pouch and when she sent a small amount of chakra out to see what his levels were, she found that his were smaller than hers. And they might possibly be damaged, which meant he couldn't perform any jutsus. So that ruled out ninjutsu and genjutsu. Which left her with taijutsu. And if his leg warmers were anything to go off of, he must be incredibly fast.

"Sorry, Lee-san, but my sensei says I have no time for crushes or relationships. How about we be friends instead?" She asked, chuckling nervously when Lee's eyes became small fires of determination.

"Yosh! I will gladly be your friend and wait until you are ready! I will train hard every day in order to earn your sensei's approval!" Lee cried out, shaking his fist as a sunset suddenly appeared behind him and he began to cry rivers of tears. Sakura slowly walked backwards, before turning around and high tailed it upstairs, her teammates' collars clutched in her hands. Lee didn't even notice her disappearance until it was too late.

* * *

><p>"That was fucking weird." Sakura said after making sure they were alone. She sighed a breath of relief when she found the coast clear. However, she wasn't out of the trenches, just yet. Her teammates were looking at expectantly.<p>

"Sakura-chan, who were you talking about? We only have one sensei, and that's Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, looking confused as rubbed the back of his head. Sakura cursed herself. She hadn't meant to let them know anything, and there she goes running her mouth without thinking. Dammit.

"Yes, Sakura. Who is this mysterious sensei?" Sasuke asked, shocking both of them. Naruto pointed while shaking his head. Sakura sighed and cracked her knuckles, mindful of the spikes covering them. She didn't want to hurt herself by being stupid. Anko would have a field day with that.

"Well, for the past week I've been studying and training to become a Hunter nin, you see, and well, this woman kinda overheard me and offered to help me." She said, giving as much information as she could without raising any more questions.

"Why would you want to be a Hunter nin?" Naruto asked.

"I'm simply playing to my strengths." She answered, tugging both of them forward to the door. Naruto saw it and ran forward, kicking it open and quickly making everyone in that room an enemy.

Great, just great. She just had to get stuck with the idiot. Her luck hated her.

"Shut up, Naruto. Are you trying to get us all killed?" Kiba asked, pulling the blonde into a head lock. Sakura decided that maybe, her luck didn't hate her completely, if it sent Kiba to the rescue. He would be able to reign in Naruto.

"Hello Kiba, Shino, Hinata." Sakura greeted, deftly moving to the side as Ino launched herself at Sasuke. Sakura ignored his pointed glares and instead turned to greet the rest of the Rookie nine. "Ah, nice to see you Shikamaru and Choji. Hello Ino. Please stop suffocating my teammate, I need him to pass the test." Sakura said, making all of them look at her. I mean, really look at her. They all noticed her complete change in attire,a and even how she carried herself. No longer was she latched onto Sasuke, very much like Ino was, and no longer was she wearing that ridiculous dress. Of course, none of the guys would ever tell her that, because they liked living very, very much, but they had once agreed that she should really wear something more suitable.

And she had, apparently.

That was when Shikamaru noticed the engrave name on her right glove. The minute he read it, he went very still. He knew that name well, because his father often commented on how crazy that woman was. So why the hell was her surname on Sakura's glove?!

"Oi, Sakura, who's Mitarashi?" Kiba asked, noticing the name as well but not connecting it to anyone he knew.

Sakura gave a tight lip smile that seemed real to anyone looking, but was very fake and very nervous. She couldn't hide her hands, because now everyone was staring at them, and she couldn't play it off because she knew Shikamaru knew that she knew he knew.

Confusing, yes, but it was too long to explain and be clear.

So, she had only one way out.

The truth.

God, she hoped Anko-sensei wouldn't kill her for this.

"Uh, well you see, Mitarashi Anko is my new sensei." Sakura said, her voice trailing off at the end. However, they all heard it. Especially Ino.

"What?! That devil woman is your sensei?!" Ino screeched, catching the attention of every single person in the room, including Gaara's. He glanced over and saw Sakura trying to fend off a crazy looking blonde. He glanced forward again, not wanting to get involved. Even he knew that females were crazy.

"To be fair, she's not a devil woman," Sakura began just as Anko felt her ears ring. "She's simply psychotic and vicious." Sakura finished, wondering if she had made the situation any more horrible than it already was.

"W-W-Why w-would y-y-you b-be t-t-training w-with h-h-her?" Hinata stuttered out. Anko would also have a field day with the sky and meek heiress. Sakura sighed, feeling a migraine coming on. She wasn't aware that someone else was listening in on the conversation, and was trying very hard to not grin evilly.

"She offered to train me after hearing how I want to be stronger. I'm studying and training to be a Hunter nin, and she said she'll help be get there." Sakura stated. Ino was about to open her mouth when a tall, imposing man appeared in the front of the class.

"Shut up!" He yelled, effectively ending all conversations. Everyone turned to face him and Sakura quietly studied him. He was broad across the shoulders and chest, with his hitea tied around his head like a bandana. He wore a leather trench coat, standard black nin pants, a blue shirt, and black sandals. He wore fingerless gloves on his hands with metal plates stretching across. Sakura wondered if Anko was planning on having Sakura train with this man. He certainly looked like he would be friends with her, so it might be possible he knows about Sakura and her goal. Hmm, interesting. The fact that scars stretched across his face did nothing to discourage Sakura's thought process.

His posture and roving eyes told her he was alert no matter the situation, and that very little could surprise him. His eyes shown like steel, narrowing now and then when he found a genin staring too long. She subtly lowered her gaze when he looked at them, and went back to observing when he looked away. She wondered if he worked in T&I with Anko. He certainly looked like it. His very aura was intimidating, if her friends rigid postures were anything to watch. She grinned slyly. She would love to train with this man. He would be able to teach her whatever Anko couldn't, and Hiro-sensei would have a field day, telling her everything he knew about the man.

All she needed was a name.

"My name is Morino Ibiki. I'll be the proctor for the written portion of the exam. Find a Jonin and grab a number. When you have that, find your seat." He barked out. He was used to giving orders, Sakura deduced. She figured this man was a leader who didn't mind doing dirty work if it meant getting what he wanted. Yep, definitely T&I material.

Sakura walked up to a random Jonin and grabbed a number. She was in the middle of the class, therefore away from the watchful eyes of the Jonin. The proctor would still be a problem, but not too much if he was watching everyone.

She noticed that Gaara was on her right and that some nondescript genin was on her left. She gave a small nod in Gaara's direction, making his eyes widened slightly. She bit back her chuckle. He was socially retarded, and that was adorable.

She faced forward as Ibiki began to explain the rules to the exam.

* * *

><p>Sakura had to seriously bite back her laughter as Anko-sensei shot through the window and tossed up a banner with her name on it. It completely covered Ibiki, who was giving off killing intent directed at the woman. When Anko began to explain the second portion, Ibiki stepped out from the banner and told her to shut up, that she was early, Sakura nearly lost it at Anko's embarrassed expression.<p>

She was blushing!

Ooh, Sakura couldn't wait to use that against her sensei!

* * *

><p>Ibiki walked around the classroom, grabbing test papers as he did so. He stopped when he grabbed Sakura's test paper. She had gotten all nine questions correct, and she hadn't been caught cheating. So she either knew all the answers, which would be impressive, or she was that skilled at gathering information. From what Anko had told him about her deduction and observations skills, he was leaning towards the latter.<p>

He could see why Anko wanted him to help train the girl.

Of course, he had seen her bite back her laughter at Anko, which made him like her more already.

"Well, that's a first." He said to himself, shaking his head as he went back to collecting.

* * *

><p><em>Alright, please review!<br>_

_Deidara: 1_

_Itachi: 2  
><em>

_Neji: 2_

_Gaara: 4_


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: I really need to stop having such great ideas and focus on my other stories._

_You my blame my love for Kpop. It is what I listen to when writing these stories._

_Also, I love Sakura and hate how she's portrayed in the manga and anime._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Five: Chunin Exams (Part Three)<br>**

"Alright, brat, tell me what you gathered on another team." Anko demanded, smirking like a proud mother. Sakura was sitting in a closed off room in T&I headquarters, with Anko and many others sitting in front of her. It was the same day as the written exam, so Sakura wasn't quite sure why she was sitting here. Anko had clearly told everyone who had passed that they were to meet her at Training Grounds 44 tomorrow at 10 a.m.

So why the hell was she here when she could be studying about the grounds with Hiro-sensei?

But whatever, if Anko-sensei wanted her information, then she would do as ordered.

"Besides the two teams that graduated and became full fledged genin with my team, there was one team. They were a year older than us, and far more skilled. Their team dynamics were well established." She began, noting Anko's smug look. She rolled her eyes at her sensei, earning a smack on the back of her head. "There was a boy clad in a green jumpsuit, Rock Lee. His chakra levels were small, smaller than mine, and possibly damaged. He wore leg warmers over his shins, most likely hiding weights. He had no weapons on his person, which means he relies heavily on his taijutsu skills. I would assume that he's incredibly fast for a genin and a threat if I face him. He's not to be taken lightly, to do so would result in an immediate failure on his opponent's part." Sakura stated, her eyes glazing over as she recalled all her information. Anko grinned when Kakashi and several other Jonin's paled at her deductions. Kakashi obviously knew who she was talking about, after all, it wasn't hard to see. Gai had one devoted student that looked exactly like him.

"Continue." Anko order. She was liking how easily Sakura followed orders without complaint. Kakashi was such a fool for giving her up.

"Hai. There was a girl, with brown hair in twin buns with brown eyes. I didn't catch her name in the brief meeting we had, but I was able to test her chakra levels fairly easily. They were moderate for her age. She had two small pouches connected to her legs, too small for weapons, but large enough for scrolls. She might be a sealing expert, or perhaps a weapon master. Her scrolls could hold thousands of weapons, more than plenty to be a threat if allowed to open them." Sakura said, wary about the looks she was getting. But she didn't stop. "There was a Hyuuga. He held himself with more pride than Uchiha, so he's either a main family member, or a branch member that's arrogant in his skills. His chakra levels were moderately high, more than a genin should possess. He obviously trains religiously; he kept his eyes on my team but his body was tense and alert, waiting for the opportune moment to strike." Sakura said, finishing her little report.

It was quiet as everyone took in her deductions and observations. Just like with the team from Suna, she was able to gather intelligence from Team Gai without being around them for more than ten minutes. She carefully kept Lee's declaration to be her boyfriend when he was strong enough. Anko didn't need to know that.

"Well, damn. Looks like you found yourself a keeper, Anko." Ibiki said, chuckling and shaking his head.

"I'm hurt you doubted me, Ibiki." Anko scoffed out. Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't want to get hit again in front of Kakashi-sensei. Once was more than enough.

"I can't believe you turned sweet Sakura-chan into a spy." Inoichi said, shaking his head. He was impressed, don't doubt that, but he had expected this level of skill from Shikamaru, or even Ino if she really tried. Sure, he knew Sakura fairly well to know that she was a paper ninja, perfect for genjutsus. Not for T&I. And yet, here she was, reciting stats for a team she barely knows like she was reading it off of a paper.

"Pfft, you're just jealous I saw her potential before you Inoichi." Anko shot back, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. Sakura felt like copying her sensei, just to mess with everyone else. It would be funny to see their faces.

Instead, she opted for a toothy grin that looked downright evil.

"She's a mini Anko." Ibiki chuckled out. God, this was funny. He would pay any amount to see Kakashi's face, uncovered. But he only had his eye to go by, which wasn't much. Though, his eye did narrow a little when Anko ruffled the girls hair.

"I've always wanted a little sister." Anko said, her grin mischievous. Sakura gave out a bark of laughter.

"Liar, you just want a copy, Anko-sensei." She shot out.

"Smart ass."

"I learned from the best." Sakura said quickly, ducking her sensei's swing.

Everyone in the room paled, even Ibiki, at how relaxed the two were with each other. It had only been a week! How much could Anko have taught her?!

"Sakura-chan, what are you hoping to gain from this experience?" Inoichi asked, briefly wondering why he didn't like the glint in the sweet girl's eyes. This was not the Sakura that Ino had grown up; that one was shy, sweet, soft-spoken. Not at all like this blunt, straight-forward, evil child before him. He could only hope for this to be temporary, and that Sakura would return to her senses. Anko was not a great person, personality wise, and was not someone to look up to unless you were under the heel of her boot.

"What do ya mean?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. She saw the wheels turning in his head. She remembered Hiro-sensei telling her that a ninja was set in their ways and would not let them go without a fight; verbally or physically.

**They don't think we'll stick with this. They all think that we're go back to who we were. **Inner explained, whispering the idea in Sakura's ears. She narrowed her eyes and schooled her features to resemble Anko's. Both females looked pissed, Sakura more so. Shikaku nearly slapped himself in the face. Inoichi was horrible when it came to talking to females, and he would bet a year's worth of paychecks that he had successfully made Sakura-chan furious.

"I mean, do you plan to continue acting this way?" He asked, not noticing the dark look Sakura was giving him. Anko had barely touched upon killing intent with this girl, but when she glanced down at her, she could feel it radiating off of her. It wasn't strong enough to be noticed by the males across from them, but she saw Ibiki tense and look at Sakura.

She smiled darkly. This would be interesting.

"By acting, do you mean being strong and confident for once in my life? Or do you mean the way Anko-sensei has taught me to be perceived by others? Or, and this might be my favorite one yet, do you actually think I'm only pretending and want me to stop?" Sakura bit out, surprising the older males.

"Sakura, that is no way to speak-" Kakashi began, but Ibiki stepped forward. He set a hand down on Sakura's shoulders, smirking.

"Given the circumstances, and what we all just saw, it's safe to say this isn't an act. Sakura's about ready to jump over the table and rip into you." He said, filling Sakura relaxed underneath his hand.

"The brat here wants to be a Hunter nin, so I figured I would teach her. She's fucking entertaining." Anko said, Sakura's other shoulder being covered by Anko's hand. She and Ibiki shared a grin before the three poofed away, most likely heading towards Training Ground 13 for some good ol' sparring.

Kakashi sweat dropped, shaking his head.

"She's going to turn Sakura-chan into a nightmare." He muttered. The others heard him and nodded.

"And Ibiki is going to help." Inoichi added, pale underneath his facade of interest.

"God help us all." Shikaku muttered.

All three shared the exact same thought: those three had just become a family. A highly psychotic and evil family.

God help them all.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe those fools, thinking this is just an act. My revenge will be merciless and slow. They will scream in pain and beg for mercy. But will I give it to them? No! That would be too good for them. I'll crush their skulls under the heel of my sandals. Boots would be mercy." Sakura muttered, radiating killing intent as she followed her teammates to Training Ground 44. Naruto and Sasuke both gulped, fearful that if they even look at her she'll turn her wrath upon them. They spent the last ten minutes listening to her describe what she would do to the poor souls who had pissed her off. Safe to say, they were about ready to piss themselves. Especially when she began to talk about what she would do to their sensei. "I'll take his precious books first, and burn them one by one. But I won't stop there. I'll knock him out, dig a hole big enough for him with his head sticking out, kukuku, and strip him naked. I'll take photos and spread them around the village, ehehehe, without his mask on. His fangirls will be my bitches after they get a look." Sakura began to cackle maniacally, sparking her teammates sprint to the grounds. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" She shouted after them, making them stop. If it was possible, all the color drained out of their faces as they slowly turned around to face her.<p>

She was wearing a black trench coat opened wide. She was wearing a sleeveless black turtleneck, black spandex shorts with fishnet leggings over them. Her heeled sandals pulled the outfit together. She wore her new gloves, wanting to smash someone's face in until it was nothing but a pulp. Her weapons pouch was in its rightful spot, with her fans in another one on her other leg.

"U-Uh nowhere, S-Sakura-chan." Naruto said, giving her a nervous smile. She turned her gaze towards Sasuke, allowing Naruto to breathe in relief. He thought he was going to die for sure. The Uchiha hid his fear a little better, but seeing the fury in her eyes made him shake his head. She growled low before she remembered her plan of revenge. Her dark chuckle informed the boys that they were safe. For now.

"After that, I'll hang him upside down in a tree, naked of course, with a paper bomb covering his family jewels. There will be pictures of naked women hanging in front of him, and well, if he so much as thinks about sex-boom! Off with his dick! It'll be perfect!" Sakura said, slapping her hands together as her laughter turned sinister.

Her teammates agreed silently to never piss her off, ever. Now all they had to do was warn Kakashi-sensei about her revenge, or they might need a new sensei.

* * *

><p>"You have got to be fucking kidding me?!" Sakura shouted out, growling when a team of Rain nin decided to ambush them. Sakura grabbed her fans, loaded to the nines with senbon, and snapped one open while throwing her arm out and to the side. One nin was down for the count, his eyes pierced with senbon. Sakura would've chuckle, if she wasn't so goddamn mad.<p>

Her team was doing just fine, protecting their Heaven scroll when Naruto decided to stop for a bathroom break. When he came back, she asked him who her sensei was. When he said it was Kakashi, she attacked him. Turned out, that Naruto had been a fake and the real one was hog tied in a tree somewhere.

Hence why she and Sasuke were fighting the Rain nin.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted, breaking free from his bonds in order to help her. She snapped her teeth at him and grabbed a handful of senbon, aiming for the pressure points in the neck of the leader. He was fighting Sasuke, who was holding his own fairly well. The minute the nin turned his back, Sakura launched her senbon forward, ducking one of the numerous clones around. The leader shrieked a high girlish sound as the senbon hit their target. Sakura shrugged, she could've aimed lower. Anko once ordered her to while they were sparring, saying that males will always surrender if their priced member was attacked.

She smirked and tossed three senbon at a clone's lower area, cackling when Naruto told her that was playing dirty.

"We're ninja, Naruto! Our very lives depend on us playing dirty!" She shouted back, kicking a clone in the face. She had added a little chakra to it after Hiro-sensei told her about The Great Tsunadea. And yes, that was how he referred to her. The woman was able to channel her chakra to her feet and hands, adding to her strength. It was said with that added power, she could destroy mountains with a single flick of her finger.

Sakura had tried that technique on a tree and had been in awe when it exploded in splinters. Anko and Ibiki had proceeded to attack her, telling her to use her new found strength in battle. Of course, they sent clones because they weren't sure about her self control. She was still fuming about the meeting, even hours after and dawn was fast approaching.

Hell, she was still pissed off, though it had tapered down a bit. She assumed it was because she was letting her anger out in this battle.

"Sakura-chan! What's the plan?" Naruto asked, creating a small army of clones and they went to town beating up the rain clones. Sakura jumped backwards, landing on a branch to observe the battle. There were too many clones for them to handle without reaching their limits, and the clones wouldn't let them go even if the leader was down. Sakura shot a look at Sasuke, who nodded and began to search the leader for the Earth scroll they needed. When he found it, he slipped it into his weapons pouch before jumping away to dodge an attack.

"Naruto, Sasuke, get your asses over here!" She ordered, noting the way they did so without complaint. Hmm, she was liking this new role as unofficial leader.

"You have a plan?" Sasuke asked, blocking a few kunai in order to listen.

"Yeah. So listen up maggots." She snapped, grinning like a cat. Both boys gulped.

They weren't going to like this, were they?

* * *

><p>"Hey guys!" Iruka-sensei greeted, appearing out of a plume of white smoke. Sakura wondered why every shinobi seemed to like the white smoke. She thought it was annoying, easily spotted, and childish. Really, ninjas were supposed to be masters of stealth, not flashy circus monkeys.<p>

She would talk to Ibiki-sensei and Anko-sensei next chance she got. She waved at Iruka before sitting down on the floor, busying herself with counting her remaining senbon needles. She still had a hundred, so that was good. Meant she would have to get some more in the next day or so.

"You guys have some time to kill before the rest of the teams get here. I'm surprised you made it here so soon." Iruka said, laughing a little as Naruto began to tell him it was all because of Sakura, who had made them run for a full day until he had to take a break. Iruka shook his head as Naruto explained the battle they had, already knowing. He had been there, after all.

"Sakura-chan, may I speak to you real quick?" Iruka asked, pulling the girl away from her inventory. She shot him an annoyed look, which was unusual, but got up and followed him nonetheless.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"I heard that you've been training with Anko and Ibiki." He started, well aware of the misunderstanding that had happened at the meeting with her old sensei. He had wanted to shake his head at Kakashi; really, didn't that man understand that Sakura needed this?"

"Yes?" She asked, a little bite behind her word. It was unintentional. She knew that, but it just slipped out. She was tired of people thinking this was all an act. She wasn't pretending! She was serious, dammit! And it was about time people got that through their thick skulls.

Or she could always crush them under her heel, like Anko. If it worked for her sensei, then it would work for her.

"I'm proud of you. You found two senseis who are the best in their fields, even if they're crazy, and a goal to shoot for. I always thought you would go towards genjutsu, but Hunter nin works, too." Iruka said, ruffling her hair before disappearing. He couldn't help but laugh at her shocked face. Behind that mask of annoyance and indifference, was the Sakura he had taught for years.

She had changed, and he found that it was for the better.

* * *

><p><em>Alright, please review!<br>_

_Deidara: 1_

_Itachi: 6  
><em>

_Neji: 5  
><em>

_Gaara: 10  
><em>

_Kiba: 1_

_Kankuro: 1_

_Shikamaru: 2_

_No curse mark for Sasuke! Sorry about leaving that out, but I figured that Sakura would want to get the whole thing done and over with, and rushed her team to finish._


	6. ATTENTION

**I'm sorry to inform everyone, but I will not be able to post or update after tonight.**

**I'll be leaving for Basic Training for the Air Force on Sunday, and for three months I will not have any access whatsoever to electronics.**

**If I do, it will be to make phone calls home.**

**This does not mean, however, that I'm abandoning my stories.**

**They will be updated, just don't expect it for a long time. **

**This will be posted as a chapter on all of my stories, so as to let everyone who likes them know.**

**I apologize for starting any stories in the past week, knowing I wouldn't be able to do anything.**

**This was not my intention, so please don't be mad.**

**Apologies once again. I promise to reread everything once I get unrestricted internet again, which will probably be in three months, like I stated above.**

**That will be when I will be in Technical Training School, or Tech School.**


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